Improvement in elevated railways



(120-) JAMES E. SERRELL.

improvementjn Elevated Railways. No. 122,667 'Paten'c edlan,.9,i872.

UNITED FIGE.

JAMES E. SERRELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELEVATED RAILWAYS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that 1, JAMES E. SERRELL, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Elevated Railways for Cities; and the following is declared to'be a correct description of the same.

This improvement is made for accommodat ing fast and slow trains of cars acting together and running in the same direction for the purpose of transferring passengers from one train to the other trains at stated stopping-places. I make use of two tracks sustained upon columns and provided with an elevated sidewalk at each side of the two tracks, so that the one sidewalk gives access to the cars on the inside track, and the other sidewalk serves for access to the cars of the outside track, and the cars run contiguous to each other, thereby the weight is nearly over the columns, and the sidewalks next to the buildings would be available, in connection with this arrangement, to give access to stores on the second floors of the houses on the line of this road on both sides of the public highway.

In the drawing, Figure l is a plan of the said elevated railway, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing said railway at the opposite sides of the same street.

The tracks a b are supported upon the columns c at each side of the street, and the elevated sidewalk is made of the platform 01 between the track a and the buildings and the platform e outside the track 1). Suitable stairs fare provided as means of access to the elevated sidewalk, and at the edges of such sidewalk there are railings or'balustrades for promoting the safety of pedestrians, and gates or openings are provided at l l to allow passengers to pass to and from the'cars m and a.

The cars should be made narrow and with a seat on one side, and run back to back and they may be propelled by any suitable power.

The doors of the cars should be opposite to the seats, and the floor of the cars should be about six inches above the level of the sidewalks. And it is also proposed to support the columns on piles of such length, size, and material as may be required by the earth into which they may be driven; and 011 top of these piles, and between all the joints, it also is proposed to place an elastic substance, such as wool, pulverized charcoal, and linseed-oil, mixed, secured in place by flanges, to intercept the concussion and prevent jar or vibration being extended to the surroundings.

The tracks are to be open, so as not to be obstructed by snow and ice; and on the two tracks a and b the cars run in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows; and the cars or trains on onetrack are to run at high speed, only stopping at longer intervals or taking the through travel, while the cars on the other track take the local travel from stopping at such places as may be desired, acting as a waytrain or tender to the fast train. The tracks that take the travel in the other direction are upon the opposite side of the same street or in another street parallel, or nearly so, with each other, and are shown in the drawing as being on the opposite side of the same street, and the construction of both is the same as that before set forth.

I claim as my invention- An elevated railway with two tracks, and a second sidewalk of suitable height, with platform between the tracks and buildings and outside of such tracks, and provided with steps, balustrades, and openings, as described and shown, and for the purposes set forth.

Signed this 14th November, A. l). 1871.

JAMES E. SERRELL.

Witnesses:

Gno. T. PINCKNEY,

CHAS. E. SMITH. (120) 

